Conveyer



B.' A. PA'RKES.

CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. E. 19|]- Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

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CONVEYER. APPLICATION FILED ocT. a. 1911.

1 $328,099. Patented J an. 13, 19,20.Y

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B. A. PARKES.

coNvEYEB. APPLICATION FILED OCT. B. |917- 1,328,099, n Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

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www v UNiTED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

BERTRAND PARKES, OIE PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR `T0 THE PHILADELPHIA DRYING MACHINERY COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A vCORJPOIRALION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

G-ONVEYER.

To all'wlzom t may concern.'

Be it known that'I, BERTRAND A. PARKES, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseul Improvelnents in Conveyers, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings'.

The invention relates to improvements 1n conveyers such as employed in drying machinery or. the like, and is more particularly directed -to endless conveyers of the above characterwhich are double acting, z'. e., capable of carrying the material both in the forward and return travel through thema- The invention is further directed to an improved conveyer comprising pivoted sections capable of 'being inverted to transfer the 'material conveyed from the portion of the conveyer traveling in one direction to that portion of the conveyer returning to complete the circuit of traverse. The invention also comprehends means foreifecting the inversion above referred to so that the carrying surface of the conveyer will always be uppermost.

The invention is still further directed to means for rocking the pivoted sections of a conveyer such as outlined above, to agitate the material carried thereby.

In the drawings, Figure I, illustrates a side elevation of a portion of a drying machine convenientl illustrating my invention, the side pane s having been removed in order to more clearly show the interior.

Fig. II, is an end elevation of the machine. as seen from the left of Figs. III, and IV, are etail views on an enlarged scale illustrating the mechanism by which the plates 0f the apron conveyer are individually inverted.

Fig. V, shows one of the conveyer plates in perspective.

Fig. VI, is a detail sectional view on line VI-VI of Fig. IV. I

Fig. VII, vis a modified construction functional in rocking the conveyer plates during their travel through the machine, and

Fig. VIII, illustrates a modified form of inverting mechanism.

Referring moreparticularly to Figs. I to VI, inclusive, the drying machine herein shown comprises drying chamber 1, having Specification of Letters Patent. Application led October 8, 1917.V Serial No. 195,226.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

a structural frame work 2, inclosed by suitable panels partl 6, 6, at thev sides of the chamber and carriedby sprockets 7&7, 8 8. Said sprockets may be driven in' any convenientn'ianner from any .suitable source of power not shown. In order. to prevent sagging of the chains and also to support the conveyers during their'traverse, said chains are run along the horizontal legs of angle irons 9, 9, incorporated in the frame work of the machine. i

Since these endless conveyers are identical in construction it will be convenient for the time being to refer to the uppermost one designated by the numeral 4.' At regularly spaced intervals, chains 6, 6, are provided with special links 10, having inwardly eX- tendinglugs 11 (Fig. VI) for the pivotal support 'of apron sections 12, best illustrated in Figs. III, and IV, and in perspective in Fig. V. In this latter figure, it will be noted that the apron section is in the form of a rectangular platev 13, suitably perforated to permit free air circulation, and supplemented upon one sidewith a central tubular supportin bar l5, rigidly attached by means Vof suita le straps or brackets 16. When in place upon the conveyers,

the lugs f 11, of the special links 10, engage within the ends of the bars 15, so that the latter occupy at lateral position with respect to the path of travel of the conveyer. By this construction the apron sections are capable of being inverted in a manner best understood-from Fig. III. Thev invertingV device villustrated in this figure is typical of the species emplofed when the chain is moving toward the rig t as indicated b the arrow. Referring once more to Fig. it will be seen that the outer straps or brackets 16,. are provided with offset inclined spuds 17, and 18, oppositely disposed with respect to each other. Of these, s pud 17, is coperative with the inverting device above referred to.. Said device is in the form of a cam bracket 19, having a cam edge 20, coperative with the surface 21, of Spud 17, in turning the apron section through ninetyv degrees, and a second cam edge 22, also coperative with said surface in completing the inversion. It will be traveling along further noted from Figs. III, and V, that Spud 17, is provided with a rounded portion 23, which is conducive, by coaction with the vertex 24, of cam edge 20 in effecting an easy reversal of motion as the apron section passes through the vertical period of its inversion. Normally, the spuds 17, and 18, of the conveyer sections ride along angle irons 25, (Fig. I) incorporated with, and located along, each side of the structural frame of the machine, so that any accidental inversion is positively prevented. When, however, the region of'inversion is reached, control is entirely transferred -to the cam bracket. i

As the conveyer turns about sprocket 7, the apron sections are obliged to retain the position to whichthey have just been swung by a seniicircul'ar guard 26, located at the side of the machine and coperative with Spud 1 7. WVhen the conveyer sections have inally passed about their sprockets and are their lower path in a reversed direction, they assume the same relative positions as before, i. e., the flush portions of perforated plates uppermost, and

`,this travel accomplished under guidance of conveyer below,

l is accomplished at the other the longitudinal angle irons 27, by which accidental inversion is prevented as before.

The counter reversal of the apron sections end of the machine by a cam bracketBO, which is an exact negative 'counterpart of the cam bracket 19, and cooperative with the spuds 18, of said apron sections in a manner identical to thatA -previouslydescribed Here aga-1n, a sem1-` circular guard 31, is provided in determining the positions of the apron sections while rounding sprockets 8. Y

This cycle of opera-tions is continuously repeated, andfrom Fig. I it can be readily seen that the material` carried by the conveyer 4, in its upper lpath of travel will, dur-l ing the first described inversion, be dumped to the conveyer sections beneath, already on their return movement, and at the second described inversion, the material will be dumped onto the top of the next succeeding which, as already stated, is in all respects similar to its fellow which has been chosen for detailed description. These conveyers may be multiplied indefinitely depending upon the particular nature of the material to be dried :and the extent to whichthe drying is to be conducted.

By this construction the eiciency o f a .drying machine is greatly increased, since the return travel of the conveyers is also utilized and a corresponding economy of space effected.

The final dumping of the material is in -this instance accomplished at the left hand end of the machine (Figs. I and II) through a freely `lrevoluble roller 35, which 1s mounted in the end ofa fixed bracket 36,

Y in one direction and engages the spuds 18, of the conveyer sections to invert the same, whereupon the control is transferred to a guard segment 37. By this last described method of inverting, it is possible to bring the material beyond the confines of the drying chamber, so that the same may be discharged upon a chute 38 (partially shown in Fig. I) and thereby guided to any convenient point for collection.

Figs. VII, and VIII, set forth a modication through which the conveyer apron sections are rocked or vibrated coincidentally with their travel throughthe drying chamber and a corresponding agitation of the material effected. conveyer plates 50, are rounded at one end as at 51, and slightly beveled as indicated at 52, at the other, so that the slight overlap between an twosuccessive plates is at all times atten ed by the presentation of a continuous smooth surface to the. carried material notwithstanding the wavelike inotion of the conveyer. y this design, lthe material is insured against any damage' by` pinching which might otherwisel loccur. Smooth ridin of the conveyer sections is In this modiication the enhanced by tie employment of rollers 53, which are supported on the ends of studs 55,

sections and engage the peaked guide angles 56, in accomplishing the rocking motion above referred to. At the point of inversion, these rollers protrude into the path of a cani 60, whicli is identical in function and mode of operation to those already described in connection with the other figures of the drawings'.

' The a `tation of materials such as grain, cork, coal, etc., during the drying operation, is highly important in preventing in atting or adhesion by constantly changing the position of the particles to va the surfaces of exposure, free circulation of the drying medium, which tends to further increase the efficiency of the drier.

lVhile I have shown and described my invention in connection with a dryin machine, it is to be understood that I o not wish to be thesame may be equally adaptable to various of the conveyer limited to such application, since and thereby en ance the other apparatus without departing from the -my invention, I

'as they pass into their lower horizontal travel whereby said material 1s transferred from the upper inverted sections-traveling to the lower reinverted sec- :,anamo tions returning to complete 'the' circuit of traverse.

2. A conveyei` comprising a horizontally arranged endless series of sections each having a single material carrying surface, means for causin said sections 'to travel in one direction wit' said surfaces uppermost, means for inverting said sections, means ,for swinging said sections bodily around the 'end of said conveyer to reinvert said carrying surfaces and to cause them to travel in the opposite direction.

3. A conveyer comprising a horizontally arranged endless seriesof traveling sections each having a single material carrying' surface, spuds projecting from each of ,said sections, a guide track coperating with said spuds in determining the normal. position of said sections, and means coperating with said spuds. for inverting said sections as they approach the end of their upper horizontal travel, said sections being reinverted as they pass into their lower horizontal travel whereby said material is transferred from the upper inverted .sections traveling in one direction to the lower reinverted sections returning to complete the circuit of traverse.

4. An endless conveyer comprising a pair of sprocket chains; means for guiding said' chains, -a series of lugged links included in said chains; a series of apron sections supported between said chains and pivotallyj engaged by the lugs on said links; spuds projecting from said conveyer sections; tracks coperative with said spuds to normally retain said sections in upright positions; and cam brackets also coperative 4with said spuds inv inverting said sections at the completion of the traverse of the con veyer in veach direction, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

5. A conveyer',l comprising a .pair of sprocket chains; nieans for iding the said chains; a series of lugged links included in the said chain; a plurality of apron sections supported between the said chains, each section comprising af perforated plate, a tubular support rigidly attached to the said plate and extending transversely between said chains into pivotal engagement with the lugs of a pair of said chain links; spuds projecting from said sections; tracks coperative with said spuds in' normally retaining said lsections in upright horizontal positions;

and cam brackets also coperative with said s luds in swin the said sections about t eir pivots su stantially as described and for the purpose Stforth.

' 6. A conveyer, comprising a' series of overlapping pivoted apron sections; spuds pro- Vjecting from said sections; a peaked cam track coperativefwithisaid spuds to normally rock said sectionsduring the travel of I the conveyer; and means engaging said spuds for swingin said sections to inverted positions substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name .fat Philadel hia, Pennsyl- Vania, this fourthl day of Octo r, 1917.

Witnesses: 4

JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULrnR'roN.,

BERTRAND A. PARKEs. 

